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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. mine — for digging
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. present — the time now
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — goods
  8. saw — the tool
  9. current — happening now
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. present — there
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. present — a gift
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. current — of water
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. tube — the underground
  18. current — electric
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. saw — the tool
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. tube — a container
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com